To Love a Killer
To Love a Killer is a story by Cleverpelt (Warriorlover). It mostly revolves around a she-cat witnessing the deaths of innocent cats. I rate it moderate for the murder. Hope you enjoy! Chapter One ~Just A Beginning~ Sagekit jolted awake. Your time will come. The words haunted her as she remembered the menacing glance on her father’s killer’s face. What did Crimsonoak mean? Crimsonoak. What a strange name for a warrior! No. Sagekit reminded herself. Crimsonoak was no warrior, but a rouge inside her Clan. She was a serial killer, murdering Sagekit’s father, her mate, her leader and her deputy. But what did Crimsonoak mean? No, thought Sagekit. I won’t die yet. “Oof!” meowed a muffled voice. “You’re squishing my tail!” Sagekit purred in amusement. “Sorry Troutkit! But you’re tail shouldn’t be under my hindquarters!” “Kits!” Hissed Quailflight, Sagekit’s mother. “You’ll wake up Frozenpoppy and her kits!” Frozenpoppy had three kits, and they were all a quarter-moon old. “If you want to play, go outside.” “Okay,” grumbled Troutkit. “Do you want to go outside, Sagekit?” When Troutkit talked to her, Sagekit’s heart stopped like it always did and she felt all fluttery inside. “Yes,” replied Sagekit. “Then let’s go!” Meowed Troutkit. Just as they walked out of the nursery, Smokestar called the clan together. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join under the Rockyledge for a Clan meeting!” Cats streamed out of their dens. “Never before have we had so few apprentices in training,” continued Smokestar. “So Sagekit, Troutkit, step forward.” “Wait!” Cried Quailflight and Sedgefeather, Troutkit’s mother. “We had no warning!” Both mothers raced to their kits and started fiercely licking them. “Too late!” Giggled Sagekit. “Sagekit?” Meowed Smokestar. “Yes?” Meowed Sagekit. “From this day forward, until you earn your warrior name, you will be called Sagepaw. Duskstream, you will mentor Sagepaw.” Sagepaw went to touch noses with Duskstream. Smokestar continued. “Troutkit, you will be named Troutpaw. Thundertail, you will mentor Troutpaw. ” “Sagepaw, Troutpaw!” “Okay, how about a tour of the territory?” Meowed Duskstream right after the ceremony. “Now?” Asked Sagepaw. “Yep. Let’s go.” *** “Okay, this is Fogstar’s tree, the founder of FogClan,” meowed Duskstream. “You know they say he founded it by— Oh, look. There’s some water mint. Sunnysky said to keep an eye out for it.” She ran over to the water mint. Sagepaw turned her head and saw two cats beside the Thunderpath. Troutpaw? He’s right beside the Thunderpath! On his first day! Suddenly Troutpaw unsheathed his unusually long claws. He lashed out at Thundertail. And he murdered his mentor. Chapter Two ~The Knowledge~ “Duskstream! Duskstream! Thundertail is dead!” Cried Sagepaw. “Thundertail is dead?! How?” “Um...” Should she give away Troutpaw? “He was hit by a monster.” “Let’s go!” Cried Duskstream. They ran to Thundertail’s body, lying limp and mangled on the Thunderpath. Troutpaw, standing wide-eyed beside the Thunderpath, meowed “he’s dead.” “No!” Cried Duskstream. “My sweet, sweet son. Oh, what will I tell Darkwhisker?” She looked hopelessly at the smoky golden body. “No...” “Come on,” meowed Sagepaw. Duskstream sounded utterly defeated. “Let’s go back to camp.” “He’s dead?!” Echoed Smokestar after Sagepaw told him what happened. “Yes,” meowed Sagepaw. Wolftail and Roseflight were already shuffling towards Thundertail’s body for the burial ceremony. “Wait!” Cried Sunnysky as she raced to the body. “I must examine the body before you bury it!” She hoisted the body onto her shoulders. Sagepaw stared at her. I'' ''never knew Sunnysky was so strong! When the body was fully on her shoulders, she raced back to her den. * Sunnysky turned over the body, muttering to herself. “Thundertail was too young.” Then she saw something that made her freeze. The marks in Thundertail’s neck. I know from my experience as a warrior apprentice that these are cat bite marks. Sunnysky looked up. Thundertail was not killed by a monster. Chapter Three ~Hunting Prey~ “Let’s train together,” meowed Troutpaw sweetly. Sagepaw looked at Duskstream. “Can we?” She asked her mentor. “If it’s alright with you,” she meowed to Redfur- Troutpaw’s new mentor- , her eyes still filled with grief for her lost son. Redfur nodded. “Yay!” Troutpaw flicked his tail happily. He looked at Sagepaw with those eyes. “Let’s go.” *** “I think I’ve got you now!” Shouted Troutpaw from his position of holding Sagepaw to the ground. I don’t think so!” Meowed Sagepaw and flipped over Troutpaw. “I’ve got you now!” She meowed delightfully. Redfur flicked his tail. “Good job, you two. Now if you don’t mind,” He looked up at the sky. “It’s time for your warrior assessments.” “Really?” Asked Sagepaw. “Yes, it’s time,” meowed Duskstream. Sagepaw looked at Troutpaw. Their eyes met for a moment, then they both raced deeper into the forest. *** Sagepaw leaped on a mouse, killing it swiftly with one bite. She buried it with her other catch, a squirrel. Just then, she saw a water vole scuffling down at the riverbank. She snuck down, pounced, and killed it. Maybe I should see how Troutpaw is doing, thought Sagepaw. She went and buried the vole with her other catches. She went back down to the bank, and started to swim. All FogClan cats were taught to swim, though they didn’t really use it. She got up to shore and shook the wetness from her fur. Sagepaw saw Troutpaw stalking something with prey beside him, two mice and a... Rabbit? But rabbits were only found on MoorClan territory! Oh well. Troutpaw must have had a lucky catch. But what Troutpaw was stalking wasn’t prey. It was Tawnyflutter, the medicine cat apprentice. Troutpaw jumped on her, killed her with a hard and swift bite to the neck, leaving a body lying limply on the ground. Sagepaw squeaked and fled back to her prey. Chapter Four ~Confessions~ “You will be known as Sagepetal.” Smokestar tapped his muzzle to her head. “StarClan honours your courage and we welcome you as a full member of FogClan.” “Sagepetal, Troutwhisker!” “We’re warriors!” Meowed Troutwhisker excitedly. “I know!” Replied Sagepetal with as much excitement as he had. Quailflight rushed to her. “I’m so proud of you!” She meowed. Blizzardpaw, Grasspaw and Bouncepaw talked jealously together. Sagepetal looked to her side. Troutwhisker was staring right at her. “Sagepetal, I need to talk to you,” he meowed. Sagepetal’s heart stopped. “So talk,” she meowed back. “''Alone'',” he meowed. “Okay, out in the forest,” replied Sagepetal. *** “Okay, now we can talk.” “Are you sure we’re alone?” “Yes, Troutwhisker.” “Sure?” “Sure.” “Okay.” Troutwhisker looked at Sagepetal. “I... I love you Sagepetal.” Sagepetal’s heart soared. “I love you too, Troutwhisker.” Troutwhisker’s smile was warm. “Let’s go back to camp.” *** “Have a good night!” “Logkit, get back here!” “Blizzardpaw, make sure you get a good sleep!” Sagepetal lay in her nest. Troutwhisker loves me, she thought. There was no way her dream about Crimsonoak could ruin this. She closed her eyes, her heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time. Chapter Five ~A Perfect Newleaf Night~ “Sagepetal! I would like to see you!” Still filled with excitement of what happened last night, Sagepetal replied, “Yes, Smokestar?” “I think,” meowed Smokestar, “you would be a good deputy. Flowerdust is getting old, and it will be time for her to move to the elder’s den soon.” “T-thank you, Smokestar,” meowed Sagepetal in surprised shock. Sagepetal walked out of the den, and Troutwhisker was waiting for her, the darkening evening light reflecting his green eyes. “Let’s go for a walk,” he meowed. “A walk? Just us?” Asked Sagepetal. “Yes, just us,” laughed Troutwhisker. “The patrols can spare us for a little while, can’t they?” “Okay, I’ll come with you,” meowed Sagepetal. *** “It’s a beautiful Newleaf night, isn’t it Troutwhisker?” Asked Sagepetal. “Yes. It is a very beautiful Newleaf. A perfect one”—Troutwhisker broke off as a single, white petal fell from a tree. “For your death!” “What?” Before she could comprehend what was happening, Troutwhisker gave Sagepetal a slash on the nose. Blood in her eyes, she knocked Troutwhisker on his back and gave his underbelly a scratch he wouldn’t soon forget. Suddenly, Sagepetal was knocked on her side, and Troutwhisker leaned in for the killing bite but was met with the terror of flying through the sky after Sagepetal flung him off her. When he landed, he tried again with the bite. “I thought you loved me...” Chomp. It wasn’t the bite that killed her, but it was her broken heart that sent her hurling through the shadows. “I thought you loved me...” Suddenly a voice spoke. “I told you your time would come.” Epilouge ~Sagepetal's Heartbreak~ All the time we spent together It’s forgotten now All the laughs we shared together It’s forgotten now All the time we spent, hunting and fighting together It’s forgotten now Forgotten now You sliced me open and broke my heart And left me to hurl through the shadows Loving a killer Loving a killer...